Samaritan - Robin Bayne

Welcome back, Robin! Congratulations on your newest release! What a pleasure to read another of your stories and be able to share Samaritan  on its first day! I'm beginning to think of you as the teacher of life's lessons through your wonderful stories - and obviously this is no exception.

Blurb:

Tim Gardner has worked hard to rebuild the family business after his older brother nearly destroyed it. He’s restored the clientele base and the restaurant's reputation. But if Rachel Martin can’t get her act together, she won’t fulfill his orders for the Gardner’s Gazebo signature dessert, a gold-leaf cheese cake, which also happens to be Rachel’s secret recipe. When Rachel Martin's partner abandons their bakery and catering business to study with the master chefs in Paris, she's left with nothing but bills and obligations-and no one in Portlandville seems able or willing to help her. No one except for Timothy Gardner, and she knows the handsome young man is only after one thing—her cheese cake. But as she gets to know him, during her time of need, she wonders if maybe there’s a little bit more in the mix. And as Tim gets to know Rachel, he finds himself wanting to be her Good Samaritan--permanently.

Excerpt:

Rachel’s spine straightened, and she squeezed the bridge of her nose before taking the envelope. Willing her hands not to tremble, she opened the unsealed flap and shook out two crisp sheets of folded paper. While Sandy waited, Rachel began to read silently.

My Dearest Rachelle,
I’m so sorry to depart so abruptly, but I’ve accepted a once-in-a-lifetime offer to study under France’s top pastry chef. What an opportunity! I had to leave immediately or risk losing the position, and I apologize for everything, but I must find my true calling. Enclosed is a letter for the bank, giving you full access to the company account. Say farewell to dear Sandra for me, and have a wonderful life using your incredible culinary talents. You’ve been a marvelous partner, but this is what I must do with my future.

Au Revoir, Davie.

Rachel lowered the page. The smell of baking bread permeated the small shop, which she usually loved. Now it seemed to gag her.

What about what she wanted? Had Davie even considered that? What about her future?

"What are you thinking?" Sandy asked, studying Rachel through narrowed eyes.

Rachel sighed, jiggled her knees and pinched her nose again. What was she thinking? She mentally calculated the cost of the new equipment she’d just ordered, the large supply of goods on their way and the catering jobs lined up for the next few weeks. Silently she gave Sandy the note and pushed her chair back from the table with a scrape of wood across wood.

She paced from the counter to the glass front door, running her hand across the clean, smooth surfaces. Her stomach remained down near her toes and now burned with the adrenalin of panic. What was she going to do without Davie? This was his business, his life—he’d hired her right out of high school because she could decorate a complex, three-tiered wedding cake like a pro. Everything else she knew about food preparation, booking jobs, and organizing parties had come from him—had been his area of expertise.

"So what now?" Sandy’s brows knit together in concern, her worried expression fortifying the pounding in Rachel’s temples.

"I’m not sure."

Review:

Caught up in the mess left by the owner of the company, Rachel has to find a way to make a go of it on her own. Dealing with one crisis after another she shows her strength of character and her willingness to do whatever she needs to because she is fully committed running the shop on her own.

Tim has a lot at stake too, and goes through some major internal battles between what's best for the restaurant, as well as what's right - and what's best for himself personally. Toss a bit of emotional attraction into the mix and sometimes it's hard to know what he should do.

What a wonderful story of learning to be independent and self-reliant - and then realizing there's more to life. Learning to lean on God and to trust others is a lot of work and it can get a bit confusing sometimes trying to figure out what's best for everyone.

Great job, Robin! I loved it!

Robin Bayne is the award-winning author of six novels and five novellas, along with a variety of short stories. She has contributed to collections including God’s Way for Teens, God’s Way for Fathers and Cup of Comfort Devotionals; and published articles in Writer’s Journal and Christian Communicator. She has given workshops at regional and online romance writing conferences and the Writer’s Digest World’s Largest Writing Workshop. She lives in Maryland with her husband of twenty-one years, and works a "day job" at a community savings bank. Robin recently compiled a book of devotionals for writers titled.

You can find out more about Robin at:  www.robinbayne.com